That Which Time Forgot
by AlphabetNumberSymbol
Summary: Tsuna never expected the small town of Namimori to host such a dark, gruesome secret, but with the help of his friends Chrome and Hibari-as well as Chrome's strange cousin Mukuro-maybe he can get to the bottom of the mystery: the curse of class 3-3. Basically, if the cast of khr was thrown into the universe of Another.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, this is gonna be an endeavour. I've had this idea for a while now, and just recently got the inspiration and motivation to actually write it. I won't be posting this as a crossover, because I'm not including the characters or the specific plot of _Another _(though I will admit that it's difficult to separate from the plot entirely, since I'm keeping the way the curse works and its soultion the same) but this is set in the universe of _Another_, so I highly recommend watching the show, if you haven't.

This is my first multi-chapter fic, so please be patient with me if I get in over my head. I'll try to post at least one chapter a week, but knowing myself, chances are there'll be at least one or two slip ups before this is all done. I've outlined at least twelve chapters, so I guess we'll see in a few months whether I actually finish it, heh.

Also, please don't hesitate to point out any mistakes or inconsistencies. I really pride myself on my writing, but I won't get upset if you make a legitimate and helpful criticism. An author's journey is one of constant improvement.

Anywho, please enjoy!

:3

**:I:**

"Here we are, my humble abode." Ieyasu said with a grin, extending his arms out as if presenting a large masterpiece.

Tsuna exited the small grey sedan to look out upon a, well, humble household. The cream paint on the exterior was just starting to chip in some places, and the porch looked a bit dangerous, but it was clean and the moderately sized yard had a well kept garden. It was a small, western style one storey, perhaps with an attic, which would make it the smallest house he'd lived in by far-since his father earned more than enough for his mother and him to live in a far-too-large house-but he was fine with that.

Tsuna followed his cousin, Ieyasu, through the cheery red painted door, raising a brow at the very much out of season Christmas themed wreath. The interior matched the exterior well enough; lived in, but not necessarily messy. The wooden floors were colored in a soft shade of walnut, but probably not real walnut. The walls were the same cream as the exterior, but fresher looking and covered by photos, paintings, and bookshelves. The furniture had, no doubt, seen better days-there was a distinct divot in the couch where his cousin likely sat-but had that comfortable level of wear and tear. All in all, it was nice. Not overly modern and clean and expensive, like the unwelcoming semi-mansions his father insisted on buying, but not shabby and disgusting either.

"Your room is the last door on the right, feel free to get settled in. I've got to get back to work, but if you need anything, you've got my number." Ieyasu said, with what was turning out to be his typical blinding smile. Tsuna simply nodded his thanks and assured his cousin he'd call if needed.

With that, the taller blond disappeared out the front door, leaving Tsuna to explore the house on his own. The house was more or less one long hallway with rooms on the sides, and a door leading outside at the other end. To his immediate left and right were the kitchen and living room, the living room being open to the hallway while the kitchen had a countertop separating it from the rest of the house. Tsuna headed down the hall and noted that the first two doors were the bathroom and a linen closet, which meant that the one across from Tsuna's must be Ieyasu's bedroom.

The brunette opened the door to his room and found your typical guest bedroom, with pleasantly bland decorations and zero personality. Which was fine by him, as he would only be staying here a year anyways. Stifling a cough from the dust still settling-despite the room having been prepared for his arrival-he plopped his duffle bag on the bed and got to work pulling his few belongings out of the suitcase.

Tsuna had been sent to live with his cousin in the countryside town of Namimori, after his already poor constitution worsened when he moved to Tokyo with his parents. His dad had gotten another promotion, which had led the family of three to move to the big city. Tsuna has never been the healthiest child, always getting sick, but the stress of city life and the polluted air only made him sicker. Thus, he was sent to the countryside to finish off his last year of junior high school, hopefully in good health.

Soon enough, he was done unpacking. He sighed at the rather pitiful amount of stuff, having barely filled up half his closet-which was small to begin with-and a mere portion of the desk. He didn't bring very much with him, not because he knew he wouldn't be here that long, but more because he simply didn't have a lot worth bringing. Despite his father's wealth, Tsuna had never been one for materialism, spending most of his allowance money on gifts for others or putting it into a savings account. So the few possessions he brought to Namimori were all necessities.

The brunette flopped face first onto the bed, already bored out of his mind. He didn't bring his gaming system with him, and he only had a handful of his favorite mangas, so it was either study for the last three days of spring break-because Tsuna was in hospital for the first part of the year-or find something to occupy his mind. Deciding procrastination was the best option, because at this point Tsuna would never catch up in school, the teen got up and went out for a walk.

The town of Namimori was small, but not quite village small. It had a population of roughly five thousand, consisting mostly of farm workers and the elderly. Something about the fresh mountain air and the beautiful views of rice paddies and forested peaks brought people here to rejuvenate themselves. The townsfolk were friendly and welcoming, as evidenced by their merry greetings as Tsuna walked by. He was pleasantly surprised, as people in the city couldn't care less about those walking around them.

He meandered his way across town without much thought as to his destination, making mental notes of where certain places like the school and the grocery store were. He found himself wandering by the gas station his cousin owned, and debated popping his head in to say hi. Ieyasu was a busy man though, having told Tsuna he practically lived in that station because he could only afford a couple employees, so Tsuna decided not to bother him.

A good while later, the brunette found himself wandering along the edge of the mountain, walking down the dirt road by the rice fields. Up ahead, he noticed the stairs to the local Shinto shrine. He almost considered making the hike, but he was starting to get a bit winded despite his leisurely pace, and ought to head back home. Turning around, he nearly bumped into someone that had been walking by him.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you," Tsuna stepped back and waved his hands around, not wanting to upset anybody on his first day in town.

The person he'd run into was much taller than him, but with a similar lanky build. The teen was around his age, if not older, with long blue hair done up in a strange fashion, vaguely resembling a pineapple with a tail. The teen had attention grabbing heterochromatic eyes, the red-brown and deep blue akin to garnets and sapphires in color. An amused smirk paints the teen's face as he replies.

"No trouble at all, little rabbit," Tsuna blushed at the sultry tone, and made to keep going-getting a weird vibe from the blue-haired teen-but was held back as he continued, "Hmm, I don't believe we've met. My name is Mukuro. You are…?"

"O-oh, um, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna sketched a quick bow, ingrained manners taking over. The teen before him simply chuckled eerily at his flustered reaction, and he felt those heterochromatic eyes burrowing beneath his skin. Tsuna was frozen in place, unsure how to end this interaction.

"An innocent thing like you doesn't belong in a town like this." Mukuro said, voice surprisingly solemn despite his amused facial expression. Tsuna could only look up at him with confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" Tsuna asked, but Mukuro simply smiled and breezed by the stunned brunette.

"_It means that you should turn back while you can, Sawada Tsunayoshi."_

Tsuna started at the whisper that sounded right next to his ear. When he whirled around, the older teen was nowhere in sight. Shaking his head at the odd encounter, the brunette simply continued back home, the sun starting to set in the sky. He would try not to think too hard about what the strange teen said, despite the twisting feeling in his gut.

**[I]**

Before he knew it, spring break was over and it was time for Tsuna to start at his new school. He donned his uniform and gathered his supplies, dread pooling in his gut. He wasn't sure why he was filled with dread at the thought of his new school, but assumed it was first day nerves and he'd get over it soon enough. Ieyasu had already left for work, so the brunette was left to lock up after himself as he headed off to school. As he walked, more and more fellow students could be seen emerging from their houses, most looking about as tired and unenthusiastic as Tsuna felt.

He got the expected amount of awkward lingering stares and heard plenty of hushed whispers. Being the small town it is, it's no surprise the students were all fixated on the new transfer student. Tsuna simply tried his best to hold back the hacking cough working its way up his throat and smiled the patented Sawada smile at anyone who stared a little too long. The warning bell rang as he made his way to the teachers' office, but he wasn't concerned.

Tsuna was led to his classroom, class 3-3, and was left by the door while the homeroom teacher informed the class about him. At the teacher's signal, he walked in, nervous. He'd never liked being the center of attention, and this time was no different. The majority of the class looked at him, some kindly, others boredly, and the occasional few with sharp interest. Well, and one calculating glare. A shiver ran up his spine when he met the eyes of a dark-haired boy in the back, who had a red armband hanging off his jacket and the aura of a predator. The teacher insisted he introduce himself, so he began with a tentative smile.

"Uh, hi, everyone. My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, and I'm transferring here from Tokyo. Please take care of me." after a shaky bow, and greetings from the class, Tsuna was then directed to a seat in the back, by the windows.

The boy directly to his left was tall and athletic looking, and nodded to Tsuna with a bright smile that seemed a little strained. He simply smiled back and tried to pay attention as the teacher began the lesson. It became difficult as his lungs tried their best to cough themselves up, and it took most of Tsuna's focus to keep from making a scene. He really hated his stupid body sometimes.

He ended up spending a fair portion of the class stuck between listening to the teacher, trying not to bring attention to himself, and observing his new classmates. It was more or less the same as his last school, with a wide array of students. There was the popular group, who could be seen passing notes on occasion and giggling to themselves between classes. The most notable was a beautiful girl that sat on the other side of the room, with coppery light brown hair and a smile like the sun.

Then there were the delinquents, most notably a silver haired boy that glared at everything that moved. When he was awake, at least. He had a clear distaste for the dress code, with his wrists covered in bracelets and his button up open and untucked to show a designer tee. Tsuna avoided looking in that direction after the delinquent caught him staring and gave him a terrifying glare.

His desk neighbor, who introduced himself as Yamamoto Takeshi, assured him that the silverette, Gokudera Hayato, was all bark and only a little bite. Unless you pissed him off. It seemed Yamamoto enjoyed teasing the silverette, as during the breaks the baseball fanatic-possibly player, but Tsuna couldn't be sure based solely off the teen's impressive stockpile of baseball facts-would go over and talk with the delinquent, laughing off all the violent threats.

Other than those, the only other student that stood out-not including Mr. Intense-Stare-of-Doom-was a quiet girl sat in the far back corner, by the back door of the classroom. She had only really caught Tsuna's eye because of how familiar she looked. It was after a moment of wondering that he realized she looked like a purple haired, female version of the weird boy that he ran into a few days back. Although certainly with a much cuter and less "I'll-devour-you-whole" vibe. She had an eyepatch over one eye, and her purple hair was styled in a way that it spiked up in the back like Mukuro's.

When lunch rolled around, Tsuna almost went over to ask her about the weird teen, but he was quickly swamped by curious classmates. He managed well enough, sharing numbers with several classmates, including grumpy-Gokudera-no thanks to Yamamoto. He answered their questions as well as he could, trying not to be bothered by the pitying looks when he told them why he was transferred at such an odd time of the year. Thankfully, he was eventually left to his food, Yamamoto and Gokudera having been dragged off by their respective friend groups. By the time he remembered wanting to talk with the girl, she was nowhere to be seen.

The rest of the day was much like the first half, and Tsuna was glad when the last bell finally rang. He took his time packing up his stuff, brain foggy after a day of activity. It may have been an easy day to many, just sitting in class, but Tsuna has only ever had so much energy to spare each day. At least he did better than last week, and didn't sleep for sixteen hours straight. With a wide yawn, he exited the school, already devoid of all students but club members and the hardcore studiers.

As Tsuna passed the gate to the school, he caught a flash of purple in the corner of his eye. Some strange force was telling him to investigate, and so, despite his fatigue, he found himself turning the corner opposite the way home. In the near distance, he saw the quiet girl from class hurrying down the street. Before he had even realized it, his feet were moving to follow. He trailed her for a while before realizing she was headed in the direction of the shrine. '_Perhaps they live out there?'_ Tsuna pondered, curious about these strange people. He assumed she was related to the boy from before, what with the similar appearances. Despite being much less creepy than Mukuro, she had a similar aura of… well… something unnatural, for lack of a better word.

Tsuna was pulled out of his musings when he looked up to see the girl had disappeared. After a moment of searching, he realized this was the same area he had encountered Mukuro in. He walked further ahead, and was just barely able to make out a trail leading into the forest. Curiosity sparked yet again-that strange gut feeling egging him on even more-and he trudged his way through the dense forest. He had to admit it was beautiful, as it opened up slightly once inside to reveal a wonderland of moss, ferns, and tree roots, the mountain so untouched by human hands that it felt like he'd travelled into another world. Up ahead he could just make out a bright speck of purple.

'_I'll never catch up, she moves so quickly. Or maybe I'm just slow,' _Tsuna grumbled internally and carried on, ignoring the way his calves burned from the exercise and his lungs began to complain about actually needing to be used. He was nearly in a trance, eyes focused half on the purple dot in the distance, half on the trail beneath his feet. He didn't know _why_, just that he _had_ to follow her.

He realized after a moment that he was slowly gaining on her, despite his snail's pace, and guessed that she had stopped up ahead. Grateful he wouldn't have to hike all the way to the top of the mountain, he sped up slightly. He realized then how strange it might look to the girl if he popped up out of nowhere and said 'something told me to follow you'. He couldn't really use the exploration excuse either, considering he was wheezing and half dead from the simple exertion of hiking for ten minutes.

Either way, he felt like he couldn't just turn back now after using up so much of his incredibly finite energy. He reached the turn in the trail where it leveled out into a clearing of sorts, and realized there were strange little wood-and-stone huts scattered about, with one large shrine at the end. They were all heavily aged, worn down by the weather and nearly covered in moss. Strangely enough, there was one little stone hut near the big shrine that was clear of any moss, if not still weather-worn. That was also when he noticed the girl was nowhere to be seen. She had disappeared entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

:II:

A slight breeze shivered through the leaves above Tsuna's head, and he noticed an incense stick burning in front of the shrine. He was about to approach it when he heard the snap of a twig behind him. Whirling around, he sighed-a minute-breath of relief at the sight of the tall blue-haired teen. Mukuro.

"Kufufufufu, curiosity killed the cat, little rabbit. Be careful in these woods. Their beauty disguises a great danger, especially once the sun has set." The tall teen gestured around him, and Tsuna realized that the forest was indeed growing increasingly darker. Which was strange considering there had still been three hours to sunset when he had entered.

"Allow me to lead you off the mountain, little rabbit. I'd hate to see yet another pointless death." Tsuna barely caught the last part, as Mukuro had already started down the trail. Seeing as it was the only 'safe' way down from the shrine, Tsuna wondered what had happened to the girl.

"Did you happen to pass by a girl with purple hair? I, uh, saw her on my way up, but she was gone when I got here. If the forest is dangerous like you said, I just, um, hope she gets out safely." Tsuna was bewildered when the teen only shot him a confused look.

"I haven't seen anyone besides you on the mountain. Hmm, perhaps you saw a forest spirit. Be careful you don't fall into one's web, they can be particularly vicious." Mukuro made a rather eerie expression, and Tsuna, far too freaked out, didn't bother asking how a forest spirit could be a student at his school.

They broke out of the foliage beside the road surprisingly fast, and Tsuna brushed it off as him simply getting distracted by Mukuro's eerie talk. He was shocked to see the sun setting against the horizon, and wondered how half an hour had turned into three. Shaking off the far too creepy thoughts, he turned to thank the older teen, only for him to have disappeared yet again. Fighting back the urge to shiver, Tsuna just hurried home, his exhaustion hitting him all at once. He definitely did not have the energy to deal with creepy teenagers with a horrible sense of humor.

His mind strayed back to the girl, something telling him there was no way she was a ghost, or forest spirit, or whatever. She seemed too _real_. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He didn't recall anyone interacting with her the previous day, but perhaps he just hadn't noticed, or she was the loner type. Then there was the similarity between Mukuro and the girl. The similar hairstyles, auras, she looked like she could be related to the older teen. He considered Mukuro's odd personality, and decided that perhaps the teen was simply messing with him. He was far too tired to think much more on the subject, and was glad when his house was finally within sight.

[II]

He woke up the next morning feeling only slightly refreshed, despite having passed out the moment he hit his bed. He turned off his alarm with a groan and got ready slowly, his legs aching from overuse. When he headed out of his room and into the kitchen for a quick breakfast, he was pleasantly surprised to find a covered tray with a note next to it that read: _Thought you might like a proper breakfast today. ~Ieyasu_

He uncovered the tray to find a full spread of miso soup, salmon, pickled vegetables, and rice, all still steaming. With wet eyes-because it reminded him so much of his mother-Tsuna dug in, savouring every bite. He wasn't sure how the man knew this was just what he needed, but boy was he glad for it.

By the time he was done scarfing it all down, he needed to head out, so he grabbed his bag and put on his shoes, locking the door behind him. He was running a little behind, but he should still make it there in time, so he didn't bother rushing. When he did make it to the school, he was greeted by several classmates, much to his pleasure. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to make any friends so soon, but he thought perhaps Yamamoto could be considered one. He sat down in his desk and was immediately greeted enthusiastically by the baseball player-his position on the team confirmed when Tsuna had heard people talking about the game coming up and Yamamoto's role as star pitcher.

"Good morning, Sawada-kun!" Yamamoto exclaimed, tacking a slightly more genuine smile on the end. That smile really bothered Tsuna for some reason, but he wasn't sure if he should bring it up. He replied in kind, and glanced over Yamamoto's shoulder to see the purple haired girl from yesterday.

Tsuna went pale, thinking about what Mukuro had said about forest spirits. He couldn't believe that the girl was some kind of ghost, but the more he observed her, the more he noticed that literally no one interacted with her. All throughout the morning, Tsuna would surreptitiously glance over, and noted that even the teachers never called on her, despite all of the students being called on at least once per class. It really sealed the deal when they were handed a quiz in third hour, but the girl received nothing. When the lunch bell finally rang, Tsuna wasted no time asking Yamamoto about it. He mostly just wanted to make sure he wasn't going insane, or had some sort of weird ghost-vision.

"Uh, Yamamoto-kun, can I ask you something?" Tsuna received a nod and a curious look from the athlete, and continued, checking to make sure the girl was still in the room-busy pulling a bento out of her bag, " I don't want to sound crazy or anything, but, um… you see the girl with purple hair in the desk by the back door, right?" Tsuna fiddled with his shirt hem, watching Yamamoto's face for any reaction. His face went blank, and then bewildered, but his eyes showed a glimpse of fear as he quickly glanced towards the girl and then back at Tsuna.

"Hahaha, what girl? I didn't take you as a prankster, Sawada-kun." Despite the painful falseness of Yamamoto's laugh, Tsuna couldn't really say much more without making himself look crazy. He simply awkwardly laughed it off and gathered up his bento, seeing the girl exit quietly through the back door.

"Heheh, yeah, made you look! Um, I'm gonna go buy a drink from the vending machines, uh, see you!" Tsuna hurried off without waiting for a response, and missed the unusually sharp gazes directed at him as he scurried out of the room.

He almost missed the girl, just catching the sound of the stairwell door clicking shut behind her. He followed her all the way up to the roof, surprised the door wasn't locked as it normally should be. The sky was clear above and the breeze not too cold despite the spring chill, and Tsuna took a moment to breathe in the refreshing air. He looked around, not seeing the girl anywhere, before realizing she was seated right next to the door. He reflexively jumped a bit at the unexpected closeness, putting a hand over his heart.

Letting the stairwell door close behind him, Tsuna moved to stand in front of the girl, who continued to eat her bento as if he wasn't there. After a heavy pause, Tsuna shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. There was no way a ghost would bother eating lunch where no one could see them, right? She seemed far too real. Now that he was in front of her, he wasn't sure what to say.

"Uh, hi… I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi… um… what's your name?" He cringed at the awkwardness of this situation, but felt some relief when the girl set down her chopsticks with a sigh.

"You should go, now." Her head was still angled so that he couldn't see her expression, but instead of the cold hostility one might expect from such words, all Tsuna could hear in her tone was reluctance and frustration laced through her surprisingly sweet voice. That gut feeling was back, and it was telling him to stay.

"Why? Why should I not talk to you, why does everyone ignore you? You're not a ghost, I'm sure of it!" Tsuna said the last bit under his breath, but apparently the girl heard him, as she quietly replied.

"To them, I may as well be," she finally looked up, and Tsuna was surprised by her expressive purple eye. A stream of emotions flickered through it, but the most prominent of all seemed to be sadness. No, loneliness. He could only imagine how hard it must be to be completely ignored, _shunned_, by your peers. He went through something similar in his youth, but never to this extent. Tsuna was brought back to the conversation when she continued, "Has no one told you?"

"Told me _what_?" Tsuna could guess it had to do with the girl's situation. Why they all ignored her. He wanted to understand _why_.

Instead of replying, she simply stood up, dusting off her skirt and packing up her half-eaten bento. She shook her head and sent him one last look, that lone purple eye imploring him to listen.

"Then please, stop trying to talk to me. Don't acknowledge me. Pretend. Just like all the others. Pretend I don't exist, if you know what's good for you." Despite her soft spoken words, she managed to make that last sentence ice cold, the harshness shocking Tsuna into silently nodding his agreement. He was left alone on the roof as she disappeared back into the building, thinking about what she had said.

'_Some matters are best left untouched.'_ His mother's teachings on politeness and tact had Tsuna thinking that perhaps he should just leave her be and do what she asked. On the other hand, that gut feeling had him almost running after her and just demanding the answers from her, but he knew that wouldn't be the way to go about it. So, he simply finished off his lunch alone, mind occasionally straying back to that purple-haired girl.


	3. Chapter 3

**:III:**

Tsuna yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He'd been in Namimori for a little over a month, and he had fallen into a pretty steady routine. Wake up, go to school, fight off the urge to talk to the not-quite-ghost-girl, go home; wash, rinse, repeat. On rare occasions he would hang out with Yamamoto outside of school, but the boy lived and breathed baseball, thus said rare occasions were extremely so. Otherwise, he hadn't really made any "friends", mostly just friendly acquaintances that he would talk to during breaks and lunch.

Shaking off that train of thought, the slender brunette got ready for the day, making some jam and toast for breakfast-he learned not to rely on Ieyasu for much more than groceries, as homemade meals came few and far between-before heading outside. His health had improved dramatically, to the point he could walk around town for a couple hours without tiring, and had long since managed an entire day of classes without ending up exhausted. Feeling healthy was a rare treat for the teen, and he took advantage of every minute of it, wandering the town every chance he got-though he's avoided the forest since that first fateful encounter.

Making it to school with plenty of time to spare, he plopped into his seat and checked over his homework with another classmate. When Yamamoto showed up, he joined in with a sheepish grin. The athlete may have a knack for sports, but that left little room for academics. Tsuna might be struggling from missing too much school, but Yamamoto had it harder because the teen had a slightly convoluted way of understanding things, mostly with baseball or fishing references, or with odd sound effects. Gokudera showed up out of nowhere and was trying to explain a particularly hard problem-the delinquent being surprisingly smart-when the bell rang.

Everyone sat down, and Tsuna realized then, in the silence of the room, how tense the atmosphere was. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the kid seated behind Yamamoto lean forward to whisper something that left the teen white as a ghost. Before Tsuna could ask, however, the teacher came in, face grim. The man stood at the podium awkwardly for a moment, the silence weighing heavily upon the occupants of the room. Without a moment's preamble, the man announced the very reason the air seemed dark with depression.

"Late yesterday evening, Sato Jun's body was discovered in the forest. He was a good kid, and will be sorely missed." Then, as if he had simply informed them of inclement weather or a traffic blockage, he went to his desk and began sorting out his papers.

The class erupted into harsh murmurs, and Tsuna couldn't help but feel out of touch. Normally, if a classmate had died, there would be more than a simple announcement, right? He tuned in to the conversations around him, and he heard barely one or two people actually express any sorrow over this news. Sure, more than a few students were in tears, but the whole situation just felt… off. For some reason, everyone seemed more… scared, than sympathetic.

The hairs on his neck stood on end, and he looked over to see the girl staring directly at him, her purple eye carrying more weight than he could possibly comprehend.

_'Pretend I don't exist, if you know what's good for you.'_

_'You should turn back while you can, Sawada Tsunayoshi.'_

He didn't know why, but the foreboding words of the eerie teens echoed within his ears, and deep, deep down inside, he felt like something terrible was going to happen. And he could do nothing to stop it.

[III]

The morning passed slowly, and quietly. After the initial shock wave, the class as a whole seemed to devolve into a nervous wreck, everybody sitting at the edge of their seat. He felt like they were all privy to some horrible future event and he would be left in the dust, completely unsuspecting. When the lunch bell rang, he found himself meeting eyes with the purple-haired girl again, and for the first time in a month, he didn't stop himself from following her. He felt the stares on his back this time, but ignored them in favor of satiating his curiosity. He would figure this out, and soon, lest his intestines knot themselves up into an impossible mess underneath the anxiety of not knowing. He found her in more or less the same spot, and was surprised when she immediately acknowledged his presence.

"Tsunayoshi-san." she greeted with a nod, her frustration during their last interaction having turned into polite apathy.

"Will you tell me?" Tsuna cut to the chase, a voice in the back of his mind screaming at him to figure this out. He was on edge, and he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to know, so much as needed to. The girl nodded, and with a resigned sigh, gestured for him to sit down. He sat across from her, the loose bits of gravel and debris on the rooftop digging into his ankles as he sat cross legged. He ignored it in favor of her soft voice, speaking of a tale most would prefer to forget.

"It began with the class of 1972. In the middle of the year, a student loved by all died tragically. In honor of his memory, the class pretended for the rest of the year that he was still there. When graduation came, they discovered his ghost in their class photo. The ghost of Misaki Yomiyama." the girl paused, gauging Tsuna's reaction. The brunette wasn't sure how to feel. He'd never believed in ghosts, but her words rang with a clarity and truthfulness that he couldn't deny. He gestured for her to continue, and she did, "Everyone brushed it off as an anomaly at the time, but the next year, class 3-3 was struck with a horrible curse. The year began, and everyone realized there was an extra student. They brushed it off at the time, but when graduation came, there had been 16 deaths, consisting of the students of class 3-3, or their relatives. When they graduated, they suddenly remembered that that extra student… had been dead the entire time. Every single year since then, the class of 3-3 has suffered through the traumatic and gruesome deaths of their classmates and relatives, only knowing when the year ends who the extra, or Calamity, was."

Tsuna was horrified, he didn't want to believe something that seemed so… unreal, but it explained so much. It explained why the class seemed more frightened than sad at the news of their classmate's death. What it didn't explain, however, was why they pretended this girl didn't exist. As if she had read his mind, she continued on.

"A countermeasure was created, in which a student is selected, before the year begins, to be "forgotten". The class pretends they don't exist, making up for the presence of the Extra. Everyone must ignore them, and no one may speak of them. Even then, it only has a fifty percent chance of working. This year, I was chosen." She looked down at her lap, her fingers twisting themselves together. Tsuna felt aghast. It may very well be his fault Sato Jun died, for insisting on confronting this girl all that time ago. Once again, she seemed to know what he was thinking, moving to assure him. "Like I said, it only works half the time. Sato Jun went missing the week before you started classes, so you talking to me couldn't have been what triggered the curse." Her eye looked up at him from beneath her bangs, and Tsuna smiled sadly. He would probably always blame himself, No-Good as he is, but he wouldn't let it hold him back.

"Well, I guess if the curse has begun, there's no reason to ignore you anymore, right?" The girl seemed surprised by his words, and he sent her a bright smile. She blushed and looked to the side, before looking back at him with a shy smile of her own.

"I suppose so. My name is Chrome Dokuro, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tsunayoshi."

"Please, call me Tsuna."

[III]

The next day, Tsuna planned to meet up with Chrome after school. They had talked all throughout lunch the previous day, Chrome spilling what information she knew about the curse. Dread had filled Tsuna's gut with each gruesome story that fell from the girl's mouth, but he felt like it would be disrespectful to the previous classes to act as if their stories never happened. As much as he wanted to run back home and beg his cousin to take him back to Tokyo, Tsuna knew he couldn't just leave like that. Maybe the him of three years ago would have gladly fled with his tail between his legs, but he had sworn to himself that he would become stronger. As long as there was a chance of ending this thing, he would stick around and do his best to end this curse.

As such, there he stood, in front of what had to be the creepiest house he'd ever seen. Not that he wanted to dis Chrome's living situation, but it was the kind of house you would expect a swamp witch or a thousand year-old vampire to occupy. The paint was peeling, the windows all covered with black cloth or boarded up, vines growing up the sides. He shifted his feet nervously and glanced to Chrome, who was unlocking her front gate.

"So, uh, you said you had found some old newspaper clippings in your attic?" he asked, following her up the barely visible front path, the yard filled to bursting with vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Chrome opened her front door and gestured for Tsuna to go first, closing the door behind them.

"Yes, my older brother was very interested in the history of the curse and it's memory altering effects." Chrome said, taking Tsuna's bag and setting it on the coat hook as he removed his shoes. Tsuna paused at the word 'brother', mind immediately going to Mukuro. He was about to ask if the two were related, but Chrome ushered him up the steps before he could even open his mouth.

Despite appearing run-down on the outside, the inside of the house was well kept, even more so than his own. Chrome pulled down the ladder to the attic, and Tsuna followed her up. The small space had a few stacks of boxes and furnishings gathering dust in the corner, but what really drew his attention was the large cork board propped up to the left. It was covered in clippings, articles describing the deaths of the townsfolk, and pictures of students, some connected by different colored strings. Chrome sat off to the side, nervously waiting for Tsuna's comment.

"Wow… your brother worked on this?" Tsuna murmured, leaning forward to look at a picture that was half-hidden by a newspaper clipping, only a patch of blue hair and the edge of a narrow smile peeking out. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge as he felt a presence just behind him, and a now-familiar voice greeted his ear.

"_Well, well, the little rabbit came to visit._ My dear Chrome, you didn't tell me we'd be having guests today. I would have made my traditional plum cakes." Tsuna jumped back with a pitiful squeak in surprise, earning Mukuro's laughter. Somehow, he felt like he didn't want to eat Mukuro's 'traditional' anything.

"Mukuro, don't scare Tsuna like that!" Chrome scolded, giving Tsuna an apologetic look. He waved it off and moved his legs to sit comfortably, growing used to Mukuro's antics. He also had something far more important on his mind

"It's alright, I scare easily. I, uh, I didn't realize the two of you were siblings," Tsuna said, turning to look at Mukuro as he asked, "Why did you say Chrome was a forest spirit when we were on the mountain that day?" Tsuna asked, a bit miffed at having been lied to. Mukuro laughed, while Chrome seemed confused.

"Kufufufufu, you shouldn't believe everything you hear, little rabbit. Of course, I enjoy messing with you far too much. You make the most wonderful expressions," Mukuro said, a devilish glint in his eye. Tsuna regretted asking at all. Ignoring Mukuro as best he could, Tsuna turned to Chrome, who sat quietly watching their interaction.

"So, you think there's really a way to end the curse?" he asked, the question he had originally come to find the answer to. Chrome immediately straightens up, glancing to Mukuro before gesturing to the corkboard.

"Yes, Mukuro and I found some inconsistencies in the previous years, and not just because of the countermeasure. It seems like in one year, the curse was stopped prematurely, or at least, had less of an impact. The deaths stopped happening after the class took a weekend trip up to the shrine. However, it seems like the shrine could be entirely unrelated, as in the years following, the curse didn't stop solely due to a trip to the shrine."

"Could something have happened during the trip to stop it?" Tsuna asked, thinking that there had to be something, whether or not it's related to the shrine itself. Mukuro hummed, drawing Tsuna's attention. The elder's face was unusually serious, at least, for what Tsuna's seen of it.

"That's what I thought when I first came across the anomaly, but I couldn't find any proper leads. All I know is that the last death to occur that year happened before the trip to the shrine." Mukuro said, gesturing towards the pictures and articles connected by a red string.

The next few hours were spent discussing the events of the past years, and analyzing why the curse didn't occur in certain years. Tsuna had hoped that he would be able to provide a fresh perspective, but by the time the sun was setting and it was time for him to head back, he only had more questions, and no answers. Chrome followed him to her front gate to give her farewell, and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"It's alright, Tsuna. My brother spent years researching just to gather what information we have now. It's not something that can be solved in a night." She said, her words doing some good to soothe his nerves. Still, he sighed and adjusted his bag, feeling like it was an impossible task and he'd have to spend his last year of middle school watching his classmates suffer, and possibly even face his own death. It was a lot to take on.

"I know, I just. I feel like there really is something we can do. There is a way, I know it. We just need to figure it out. We can end this curse, whatever it is." Tsuna said, a certainty in his tone that surprised even himself. He'd often relied on his instincts, and they rarely ever led him astray. Right now, his gut was telling him that there was a way, they just had to find it. Chrome seemed emboldened by his words, and gave him a determined nod.

"Alright. We can fix this, whatever it takes."

[III]

_'Whatever it takes.'_

Those were the words playing on repeat in his mind when he woke up and got ready the next day. He felt confident that they could end the curse before it took too many. They just needed to find a way. The information he'd learned the previous day cycled through his mind on his way to school, and he hoped that perhaps the solution would click. Of course, it didn't come to him at all, and by the time he was sitting down at his desk, he had nothing to show for it. Sighing to himself, he decided to let his mind rest, and focus on the issue later.

Yamamoto sat down next to him, and Tsuna greeted him warmly, pulling out his maths homework so he could check over it with the other and Gokudera. He frowned when the athlete ignored him, a blank look on his face as he pulled his homework out and headed over to Gokudera's desk without a word. Blinking in confusion, Tsuna decided Yamamoto must be in a bad mood, and trailed over to join the other two.

"Morning, Gokudera! This homework was pretty difficult, could you explain the last couple problems for me?" Tsuna asked shyly, still not very confident in his maths skills. It had never been his best subject.

When Gokudera didn't so much as acknowledge his presence, Tsuna felt a wave of anxiety. Memories of his younger years filled his mind. Years of being ignored, ostracized, and straight-up bullied. He really thought he had turned a new leaf in middle-school, especially now that he was hundreds of miles away from the people of his past. Being snubbed like this opened up a lot of old wounds, but Tsuna took a deep breath and pretended like he didn't want to cry.

"Haha, you got me! Great prank guys, but I really could use some help," he said, playfully nudging Yamamoto's arm.

When he got absolutely no response in turn, his smile faltered and he looked around awkwardly to see that no one was looking at him at all. Gokudera and Yamamoto acted as if he wasn't even there. When someone pushed past him as if they didn't even see him standing in the aisle, a wave of defeat crashed over him. He had become invisible. The class had retaliated by choosing to ignore him, just like they'd been ignoring Chrome. He silently went back to his seat, and gathered up his bag. If he no longer existed to them, then he wasn't going to waste his time sitting in class. When Chrome came in through the back rear door, Tsuna immediately went up to her and pulled her out into the hallway.

"Tsuna?" she asked, bewildered, as he led the way up to the roof.

"The class is ignoring me too now. They probably think it will stop the curse from going any further." He said, not even really upset with the class for choosing to ignore him as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tsuna," Chrome said, her voice honest. Tsuna simply smiled at her and shook his head.

"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. There's a chance this is all my fault anyways," Tsuna continued before Chrome could tell him not to blame himself, "I know, I know. There's a chance it would have happened either way. We can only move forward from this point." They reached the roof and Tsuna moved over to the railing, looking out over the old track and field. The clouds overhead were dark, and promised rain in the near future. He looked back to Chrome, her purple hair stark against the dark grey of the sky.

It was as the first drops of rain fell that a decision was shared wordlessly between the two.

_'Whatever it takes.'_

* * *

**A/N: **I thought I'd try making the chapter a bit longer this time around, since that seems to be the preferred method here abouts. Maybe I'll make every chapter longer? Though that'd likely end with less chapters overall. It's a choice. Do we want more chapters; short and to the point? Do we want less chapters, but longer and less cliffhanger-y? (though really there'd only be less cliffhangers in that there are less chapters to cliff-hang) Should I stretch my descriptive vocabulary to it's very limits and add as many descriptors as possible to each and every scenario so that there are simply paragraphs and paragraphs of glorious story line to behold upon our dearest minds? Should I actually invest in more than just the murderous, gory, mysterious plot and do some legitimate character-building and plot hole filling?

Nah. I'm both too lazy and too unskilled to change my style on a whim, though it does tend to transform depending on who I'm reading at the moment. Maybe I should eat some Tolkien for breakfast...

ANS


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry about the lateness. I strongly misjudged my ability to juggle 16 credit hours of school work, 20hrs of work-work, and this.

Anywho, enjoy!

:V:

"It's been three weeks. That means we're safe, right?"

"We can't know for sure if it's worked for at least another week. I heard there's a death every month."

"Only one a month? Surely it's more than that."

"I just know wha…"

Tsuna sighed and turned his attention back to Chrome, the worried whispers of his classmates only increasing his own anxiety. It'd been nearly a month since Jun's death, and none of their classmates had died, or reported any deaths in their families. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, hoping and praying that no one else died. The part that bothered Tsuna the most was that they only cared about their own safety, and not that of their peers. Tsuna just hoped no one else had to die. As determined as they were to figure out an end to this curse, nothing had come up. All they could do was wait for a new lead, or hope that Sato Jun's death was a one-off thing.

"Is the bento good?" he asked, having started to make bentos for Chrome as well as himself after noticing how lacking in nutrition her own were. He couldn't have his friends surviving solely on rice and pickled vegetables. Chrome nodded shyly, picking up another slice of omelette.

Tsuna grinned and was about to say something when a loud _pop_ sounded behind his back. He jumped in his seat and turned around to see Gokudera drop something metallic, one of his hands going to his face. Everyone in the room watched on in horror as Gokudera stumbled backwards, straight into an open window. Yamamoto reached out to grab him, but was a second too late, Gokudera's jacket slipping through his fingers as the silverette fell backwards out of the third storey window. Everyone raced over to the window, but Tsuna was frozen to his seat.

Everything seemed to be frozen in time, everyone holding their breath. Until one person screamed, running out of the classroom. It was then that everything burst into motion, the whole class screaming and yelling as they tried their best to deny what had just happened. Tsuna didn't even realize he was moving until he was standing next to Yamamoto, who was frozen in front of the window, one of his hands still outstretched.

He looked out of the window, down the three storey drop that didn't seem so deadly until now. Down onto the ground where Gokudera's body lay sprawled on his back, a pool of blood spreading from underneath his head. One of Gokudera's legs twitched, and he couldn't bear to look anymore. Yamamoto backed away from the window with a pale face, before turning and running from the room. Tsuna felt nothing but sympathy for the other, having noticed what he was sure many others hadn't about his relationship with the delinquent.

As he turned back to go to Chrome, who was staring off into space, his foot kicked something. When he looked, he saw a burnt and contorted chunk of metal. He picked it up to look closer, and realized it was Gokudera's lighter, the cap nearly torn off and the part where the flame emerged warped. The noise he had heard must have been the lighter exploding, and what caused Gokudera to fall out of the window. He pocketed the object with a solemn expression, silently promising to return it to its proper owner.

He called out Chrome's name to get her attention, and they shared a look, gathering their bags and heading for their next destination.

[V]

The school library was slightly outdated, dusty, and currently a chaotic mess. The new librarian was a bit of a slacker as far as Tsuna could tell. Books were stacked haphazardly on carts throughout the aisles, and some books were placed back in the wrong sections, making it incredibly difficult to find what you were looking for, even if you knew what section it was supposed to be in. Tsuna and Chrome were currently sorting through every book they could find related to the history of the school, and even the town itself. They even found the 1972 yearbook, and the picture of the "ghost". Unfortunately, despite all of their hard work, they were coming up empty handed. Tsuna was working through the 2001 yearbook-the one previous to their class-when something slid out from between the pages. Blinking in surprise, he unfolded the note to find a hastily scrawled message.

'_To whom it may concern, the solution to your problem can be found in the place that cherry blossoms go to die.'_

Confused, Tsuna read the message out loud for Chrome to hear, and after a moment of thinking, her face brightened.

"Oh, I think I know what it means. Around here, when the cherry blossoms fall, there's this particular part of the school's courtyard that they gather in. There are some bushes in that area, so maybe whoever left this message buried something there." she said.

"Perfect, let's go check it out." Tsuna said, glad to finally have a lead.

The two hurriedly put the books away-not wanting to make the librarian's job any harder-and headed for the courtyard. School was no longer in session, the two having spent the rest of the day in the library researching, and so the hallways were void of life. Even the clubs had been cancelled for the day, after news of Gokudera's death had been spread.

The two exited out into the courtyard, Chrome leading the way over to the far corner, where a bunch of evergreen bushes occupied the space. They hesitated for only a moment before Tsuna dove into the shrubbery, looking for any obvious signs of something placed in the bushes.

They had been sifting through the mulch and debris for about ten minutes when someone stepped on Tsuna's ankle, making him let out a squeak in surprise, quickly backing out in order to see who had caught them. His terror only increased when he looked up to see none other than Hibari Kyoya glaring down at him. He gulped and hastily stood up, not sure how to explain what they were doing digging around school property.

"H-hibari! Ehhh-heheh…"

"Herbivores, you are damaging school property. Prepare to be bitten to death." The self-proclaimed prefect said, his infamous tonfas appearing out of nowhere-Tsuna still couldn't quite figure out _where_ he hid them-the solid steel gleaming red in the late afternoon sunlight. Tsuna would like to pretend that the pitiful squeak that permeated the air didn't come from his throat. Luckily for him, it seemed Chrome had no sense of preservation, as she stepped forward calmly and completely ignored the threatening glare Hibari sent in her direction.

"Hibari, we apologize for damaging the bushes, but this is very important. It involves the curse. We promise to be careful, and fix or repay whatever damage we incur." Chrome said, Tsuna hastily nodding along when Hibari glanced in his direction. It seemed they had at least piqued his curiosity, the other not releasing his tonfas, but not going in for the kill either.

"Curse?" Hibari simply asked, being a man of very few words as Tsuna had come to learn. Tsuna let Chrome explain, not sure he could speak any louder than a mouse in Hibari's presence.

"Yes. We were researching the curse in the library, and discovered a note that said to look here for the 'solution to our problem'. That's why we are searching through these bushes."

Tsuna had to admire Chrome's audacity, but he assumed she was much more used to Hibari's presence. There were few people brave enough to hold a conversation with the volatile teen, and it seemed Chrome was one of them. He wondered if they had a history, as to his amazement, Hibari huffed and lowered his tonfas, accepting Chrome's explanation.

"If that is the case, small animal, then I'll allow it. However, if this 'solution' doesn't appear, then I will have to punish you for pointlessly damaging school property."

Tsuna stared in awe as Hibari removed his jacket and carefully placed it on a nearby bench-his tonfas magically gone again, how did he do it?-before pushing up his sleeves and climbing headfirst into the bushes. He closed his mouth with a click of his teeth as he realized he'd been gaping. Chrome simply gave Tsuna a secretive smile before climbing in herself. Tsuna had to resist the urge to pull at his hair and whine. Were only the _normal_ people dying in this town?

[V]

Once Hibari joined in, it only took another thirty or so minutes of searching for Tsuna's hand to land on something hard and plastic-y buried amongst a dense cluster of branches. With an exclamation of joy, he emerged from the middle of the bushes, fluffy hair tangled with bits of branches and leaves. Chrome poked her head out a few feet away, but when Tsuna looked for Hibari, he saw the other student nestled between the bushes muttering to a small yellow bird on his hand, another sat upon his hair. Blinking in confusion, Tsuna almost asked, he really did, but he decided he didn't want to know.

"Guys! I found something!" Taking a look at it himself, he saw a small cassette contained within a waterproof plastic container, "It's a cassette. Do either of you have a cassette player?"

Chrome and Hibari shook their heads-he swore he saw the birds shake their heads-and Tsuna worked his way out of the bushes as he thought about where to find one. Most everyone used CDs these days, but someone was bound to have a cassette player. _Oh._ He remembered now, his cousin had one of those old radios that could play both CDs and cassettes. He had found it under his bed while cleaning a couple weeks back.

"Oh, right. There's one at my place. Let's hurry so we can listen to it."

The three quickly made their way across town, the red sunset and flickering street lights lighting their way. Tsuna was so distracted by having the _solution to the curse_ in his hands, he couldn't even find the time to be freaked out by the fact that Hibari Kyoya was going to be inside his house. Unlocking the front door, he told the other two to make themselves comfortable in the living room while he retrieved the dusty radio.

Within minutes, they were all sat around the coffee table, Tsuna pushing the cassette into the player. Taking a deep breath, he looked to Chrome and Hibari, who were watching with curious and impatient looks. Nervous for reasons he can't decipher, Tsuna's finger hovers for a second over the play button, before finally, he presses it with a click.

They all waited with bated breath as the cassette started, it's rythmic clicking only making their impatience worse. Finally, a throat clearing could be heard, followed by what they had all been waiting for_._

_"So, I guess we should get straight to the point, huh. If you're listening to this, that means the curse has already begun for your class. You might be feeling lost, doomed, as if you're on death's door. Which you may very well be-"_

_"Honestly Chikusa, you just said you would get to the point! I swear, you never talk, but when you do you go on forever!"_

_"Oi, stupid dog, don't get your panties in a twist. Tch. Boys."_

_"Hey! You have no room to talk M.M.!"_

_"Guys-"_

_"Oh yeah? At least I don't smell like wet dog!"_

_"Hey-"_

_"At least I'm not some stupid girl!"_

Tsuna looked away from the cassette as the bickering continued, legitimately bemused by what he was listening to. Hibari looked about ready to smash the radio in, which would not be helpful. Chrome had an odd expression on her face, but before Tsuna could ask, shuffling could be heard over the recording and the bickering faded into the background.

"_Sorry about that. Anyways, the gist of it is that the only way to stop the curse for sure is to kill the Calamity. Send the dead back to death. Before you go running around killing people, just please, think before you act. We do this to end the curse and prevent unnecessary deaths, not cause more. Do your research, be thorough. If it helps, know that the Calamity is always-"_

The recording cut off with a crackling hiss, and faded into the rythmic clicking it had started out with. Confused, Tsuna ejected the cassette and looked it over, noticing what he hadn't before. On a piece of tape, the words 'Part One' were written out in black pen. Double checking the plastic case it'd come in-despite knowing for a fact there had only been one cassette in it-he saw that there was a space for a second cassette, completely void of said thing.

"Well… uh, looks like this is all we have. I mean, we already know that the extra student is dead, so if all we have to do is kill them again…" Tsuna trailed off, his gut twisting at the idea of killing anyone, ghost or not. What if they got it wrong? What if they killed a perfectly innocent person by mistake? He didn't think he could live with that.

Chrome rested a hand on his shoulder, and shared a look with Hibari. When she looked back, there was a determined set to her eye, along with something that made Tsuna's spine shiver. Before she even opened her mouth to speak, he knew exactly what she was going to say_._

_"Whatever it takes."_

[V]

Despite the sudden breakthrough, Tsuna and Chrome were right back where they started, albeit with the addition of Hibari to their unusual duo. One week turned into two, and everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next death to happen. Paranoia and fear were running rampant beneath the surface, but everyone went on with their days, trying their best to ignore to fear within. The three of them had decided it would be best not to tell the rest of the class just yet about the solution to the curse. Tsua had a feeling things would end very poorly if that information were released to the masses. Especially paranoid, judgement impaired teenage masses.

And so they went on with their lives as well. Tsuna and Chrome would still meet up regularly to discuss any new information, or even just hang out. Outside the whole trying to solve the curse deal, Tsuna found himself becoming close friends with the girl. He even managed to get over his fear of Hibari-for the most part-once he got used to the teen's strange whims. It seemed as long as you abided by Hibari's odd rules and weren't too obnoxious, he wouldn't feel the need to beat your face in. To Tsuna's dismay, however, putting Mukuro and Hibari in the same room was like introducing pure potassium to water. To put it lightly, it was a very bad idea.

Even so, as the water evens out into a still pool, someone is bound to throw a stone into it and cause a disturbance.

It's a Tuesday morning when Tsuna wakes up with a horrible dread settled in his gut. Something was going to happen today. When he arrived at school, the dread only grew heavier. He spent the morning anxiously fidgeting, waiting for the next horrible event. Who would it be? How would it happen? He had no clue, and it stressed him out. Chrome had asked him during lunch what was wrong, but all he could say is that something bad was going to happen. He had no idea why he felt it so strongly, having been caught entirely off guard by Gokudera's death. He worried that it meant something was going to happen to him, but he kept that to himself, not wanting to worry Chrome.

It was in their chemistry class that things came to a point. They were doing a simple experiment involving acids and bases, when out of the corner of his eye, Tsuna saw something strange. Looking over, he saw that Yamamoto had drank something out of one of the flasks. He gasped in horror when he saw the label: HCL. Hydrochloric acid.

Within seconds, Yamamoto was coughing and choking, a pained expression on his face. Tsuna could only imagine the pain the other was going through. The class broke out in a panic when they realized what the other had done, the teacher quickly calling for an ambulance before attempting to help Yamamoto. Tsuna stood back with Chrome and watched as the beloved baseball player began to vomit blood. The teacher tried to get Yamamoto to swallow something, but the teen refused, coughing and wheezing. Unlike with Gokudera's death, the class watches in awed silence as Yamamoto chokes on his last breath, blood gurgling out of his mouth. The silence is only broken when the EMTs arrive, minutes too late. Panicked whispers of denial fill the room, and Tsuna shares a look with Chrome.

_"Surely it's just coincidence, right?"_

_"He was really close with that Gokudera kid,"_

_"I heard he messed up in practice the other day, his coach was yelling at him after practice,"_

_"Maybe it's not the curse, maybe he just wanted to die,"_

Tsuna honestly wants to scream at how cold and unsympathetic they were all being in the face of Yamamoto's suicide, more concerned with how it might affect them than the fact that he even did such a thing. He watches as the EMTs pull the blanket over Yamamoto's face, feeling some measure of guilt. He had considered Yamamoto a friend, and he couldn't even be there for him after Gokudera's death. He had tried to talk to Yamamoto, but whether he was still hurting too much from the loss, or if he perhaps blamed Tsuna for it, the other had simply brushed him aside. Now it was too late, and one more person had been lost to the curse. Blinking away the wetness in his eyes, Tsuna leaves the classroom.

They finally have a lead on how to end the curse, and no time to waste.

[V]

Tsuna stares at the books across from him, the sunlight coming through the small windows highlighting the dust floating in the air. He feels a sneeze building, but ignores it as he tries to refocus on their current mission. Who is the Extra?

Who did they have to… kill?

Even the thought of killing one of his classmates made him want to puke. The only solace being that whoever is was, was already dead. A ghost. It would be of no consequence to kill them. The main issue was being sure whoever he killed was the right person. Sighing heavily, Tsuna put his head in his hands, despair weighing on him.

"You know these guys better than I do. Does anyone in the class seem… suspicious? Different?" Tsuna asked, looking to Chrome, who sat across from him at the table. She shook her head quietly and gathered her thoughts before speaking.

"I'm not close enough to anyone to really know if something was off. Besides, the curse is meant to make it as if the extra had always been there. Even documents and people's memories are manipulated in order to validate the extra's presence. I doubt it'll be so easy to figure out who it is."

"Well, do we at least have a starting point?" Tsuna asked, leaning back in his chair. "Even if it's just to rule them out."

_"_I have a few people in mind," Chrome said, "but we wouldn't be able to question them if they're still ignoring us. Plus, it would lead to questions of their own, and I don't think we can trust everyone to remain calm if we tell them how the curse can be ended."

Tsuna grimaced as the image of a bloodbath flashed through his head, his classmates slaughtering each other in a bid to end the curse.

"Yeah… maybe we do some background research?" Tsuna suggested, but then deflated, "but I wouldn't even know how to go about that."

"Herbivores."

Tsuna jumped in place and whirled around, startled by Hibari's sudden entrance.

"H-Hibari!?"

The self-proclaimed prefect glared down at him from his spot at the end of the shelves. Tsuna sighed a breath of relief when Hibari's gaze moved on to Chrome, who looked up at the other with curiosity. Tsuna had no idea how she could be so calm in front of someone so volatile.

"I know someone who can assist in this… search." Hibari said, crossing his arms and leaning against the shelf.

"Really!? Who?" Tsuna asked, surprised by the offer. Hibari frowned as if even the thought of the person bothered him.

"My brother, Alaude."


End file.
